title: Community event-based outreach screening for syphilis and other sexually transmissible infections among gay men in Sydney, Australia.
abstract: Objectives Increased testing frequency is a key strategy in syphilis control, but achieving regular testing is difficult. The objective of this study is to describe a sexually transmissible infection (STI) testing outreach program (the Testing Tent) at a gay community event.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gay men attending the testing tent in 2010-11 completed a computer-assisted self-interview and were screened for STIs. Clinical, demographic, behavioural and diagnostic data were compared with gay men attending a clinic-based service during 2009. The Testing Tent was marketed on social media sites and data were extracted on the number of times the advertisements were viewed. Staffing, laboratory, marketing and venue hire expenses were calculated to estimate the cost of delivering the service.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-eight men attended the Testing Tent. They were older (median age: 42 years v. 30 years; P<0.001), had more sex partners (median: five in 3 months v. two; P<0.001) and more likely to inject drugs (9% v. 4%; P=0.034) than the 1006 clinic attendees, but were more likely to have previously tested for STIs (81% v. 69%; P=0.028) and to always use condoms for anal sex (59% v. 43%; P=0.005). Five cases of STIs were detected; the diagnostic yield was not significantly different from that of the clinic. The cost of the Testing Tent was A$28?440.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nonclinical testing facilities are an acceptable option and are accessed by gay men requiring regular testing, and may be an important addition to traditional testing environments.
authors.affiliation: Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Sydney Hospital, GPO Box 1614, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia.
authors.forename: Phillip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: Vickie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bourne
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.forename: Basil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.forename: Warwick
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: McNulty
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D013587:Syphilis / Q000517:prevention & control